Scientists from multiple institutions are to investigate the impact of British wind farms on the seabed amid plans to build up to 25,000 more offshore turbines. 

The researchers, upon a private survey vessel, examined one of the oldest active offshore wind farms in the UK, the Ørsted wind farm, off the coast of Cumbria. 

The team used new scientific equipment and techniques to sample the sea floor, working with colleagues from the University of Essex, wind farm operator Ørsted and the government’s marine experts, the Centre of Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). 

Marine scientists will compare the effects of oil platforms to get a snapshot of how fossil fuel and renewable energy assets vary in their impacts. They will discover how the turbines may affect biodiversity, carbon storage, and seabed composition. Samples were taken from as close as 50m to the turbines to as far as 1.6km away, which are now being analysed to identify any footprint of the farm on the seabed 

It comes as The EU’s European Green Deal suggests building thousands of wind farms in the North Sea to hit carbon neutrality in 2050. 

Expedition leader Dr Natalie Hicks, from the University of Essex said: “This research is hugely important. There are not enough specialist scientific vessels to gather the evidence in time so collaborating with industry is key to gathering data. We know our demand for Net Zero energy targets means we have seen an increase in offshore wind farms, so understanding any environmental effects of these wind farms is urgent.” 

Credit: Cefas

High pollution levels 

The research follows a University of Essex study which found pollution was 10,000% higher around North Sea fossil fuel platforms than open water. At present the samples are being studied and it is hoped the project will help Ørsted and the wider industry to better understand the benefits and any impacts of wind turbines on the seabed, as they look to develop new sites in the UK to meet the nation’s net zero energy demands. 

Professor David Paterson, from the University of St Andrews, said: “It’s important we take learnings from the oil and gas industry on the environmental effects of oil and gas operations and decommissioning and effectively apply these to the offshore wind industry as projects mature towards later life phases. 

The study will look at the footprint of the wind farms between and away from the turbines. Scientific equipment, including a camera that digs into the sea floor, was used to record, and collect samples from around the site.  

The researchers will use environmental DNA (eDNA) – which measures trace samples of genetic material of species in sediment – to explore biodiversity, testing the use of this technology. Sediment samples will also be used to measure carbon, sediment type and other compounds such as zinc and lead. 

A spokesperson for CEFAS said: “It is critical to scientifically understand offshore structures and their effects and impacts on the environment, and this needs us to actually get out there and collect the data.